Glossary

Oil paints made with an alkyd resin binder plus oil. They dry fast with an even semi-gloss lustre. They can be mixed with conventional oils and cleaned up with solvents.

Italian: Literally, “at once’. It’s a style of wet into wet painting whereby the entire composition is completed in a single sitting as opposed to building up layers.

The material into which pigment is mixed to create paint. For oils, it’s linseed oil and for acrylics, it’s acrylic resin.

Brush often used for blending.

Brush with bristles that taper to a flat cross-section with rounded corners.

Brush with bristles that are arranged in a chisel shape. Produces a broad stroke when used flat; a narrow stroke when used like a blade drawn laterally.

Brush with long fine bristles, ideal for producing even lines at detailed level.

Brush with a round cross-section. Tapers to a point for detailing.

Pigments used in paint that are found occurring naturally in the earth, such as umber, ochre and sienna.

Frame against which painters position their canvases or other support while painting. There are many choices from large studio easels with mechanical height adjustment to easels that fit onto a table.

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